Bike paths and lanes are integral parts of the bicycle transportation network,
and these reports are provided to encourage their use by bicyclists who
might otherwise not venture out in the snow, and to encourage their proper
maintenance (which includes snow plowing) by the responsible agencies
given in bold type below. If they are not plowed while the snow
is still soft, paths with significant foot traffic become unskiable
within a day, and remain a mess for everyone until the ice melts.

Snow finally started falling over the weekend, but I was at a conference
and didn't get out on my bike until Monday morning. Inside Route 128, anyway,
precipitation changed between rain and snow several times, and by Sunday morning
was messy ice. I was surprised this morning that the paths were as clear as
they were. I took a different route home as the blizzard was starting and added
a few more reports. Here's what will be under the two feet of snow that has been
falling since noon today.

Arnold Arboretum1.5 miles of park roads which are mostly closed to automobile traffic
with no intersectionsBoston Parks and Harvard University

Snow over ice on the road between the main and Forest Hills entrances.

Blackwell FootpathA half-mile gravel path connecting the Forest Hills MBTA station and the
South St. Arboretum entranceBoston Parks and Harvard University

Not checked yet

Roslindale Bike LanesTwo miles of bike lanes on both sides of Washington St. from Forest Hills
to Roslindale Square and to West Roxbury on Belgrade Ave. and buffered and
wide bike lanes along American Legion HighwayBoston Public Works Department

Monday night, the Washington St. bike lanes were clear except for a thin layer of snow
so they're starting off about where the roads are

Centre St. and VFW Parkway Bike LanesDCR, plowed by MassDOT

Not checked, but probably pretty clear.

Arborway "Bike Lanes"1 mile of wide paved shoulder which is unmarked but usually clear of
parked cars during rush hourDepartment of Conservation and Recreation

They were pretty clear tonight, and the sidewalk had been plowed, too.

Morton St. Buffered Bike LanesCemetery Rd. to Harvard St.MassDOT

Should be pretty clear, but not checked.

Franklin Park RoadsMuch of the park loop road is closed to motorized traffic
and there are bike lanes on the main road.Boston Parks and Public Works Departments

Not checked yet.

Centre/South Bike LanesA mile of bike lanes through the heart of Jamaica Plain from Jackson
Square and the Southwest Corridor to Forest HillsBoston Public Works Department

Netherlands Rd. OK. Parkway clear, but car travel lane is narrowed
by parked cars, so motorized traffic is crossing into bike lane,
so be careful. The contraflow cycle track at the intersection is
unplowed.

Charles River BikepathsNarrow, shared bike-ped path with few intersectionsDepartment of Conservation and Recreation

The Cambridge side from the BU bridge to Hawthorn St. was the
clearest path that I encountered today! There are bad icy
stretches in the standard places: Riverside Boat Club and just
west of River St., though the whole stretch between River St.
and Western Ave. has more ice that the rest of the path.

J.F.K. ParkWide, shared bike-ped path from river to Harvard SquareDepartment of Conservation and Recreation

These paths aren't plowed because they get relatively little transportation
use and because they are used by cross-country skiers like me. There
are marked narrow bike lanes on Enneking Parkway through the
reservation which are probably clear. Though after this snowfall, the paths
should be pretty bikable, and there usually isn't any ice.

Former Metropolitan State Hospital
Belmont, Walthampaved bikepaths
Mass. Department of Conservation and Recreation

Not checked yet.

Assabet River Rail Trail
Hudson and Marlborough, so far
Town of Hudson, City of Marlborough
(so far)

Not checked, but probably not plowed.

Northampton BikewayEast-west across the City of NorthamptonCity of Northampton

Craig Della Penna, who lives next to the path, has reported that
it is the intention of the DPW to make it passable ASAP after a storm.
If the storm is significant, then they plow it repeatedly --sometimes
10-12 times during the course of the storm to ensure its usability.

Norwottuck Rail TrailNorthampton to AmherstDepartment of Conservation and Recreation